20th Century Music and Technique

This course will examine how the history of music in the twentieth century was shaped by technology, from the first recording devices and the earliest electronic instruments through the use of digital media. The definition of technology will be broad and will also include unusual approaches to the making of music. The repertory of music studied will be similarly wide in range, encompassing both popular songs from the 1890s and the avant-garde explorations of the 1950s.